Container and wrapper for articles of manufacture and commerce



R. D. LOOK Jan. 19, 1943.

CONTAINER AND WRAPPER FOR ARTICLES OF MANUFAETURE AND-COMMERCE '2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1939 INVENTOR. D. Look Robert ATTORNEYS Jan. 19, 1943. D. LOOK I 2,308,527 CONTAINER AND WRAPPER FOR ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE AND COMMERCE Filed July 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

Robert D. Look ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1943 CONTAINER AND WRAPPER FOR ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE AND COMMERCE Robert D. Look, Houston, Tex., assignor to Newspaper Service Corporation, Houston, Tex., a

corporation of Texas Application July 18, 1939, Serial No. 285,035

1 Claim.

This invention relates to containers and wrappers for articles of manufacture and commerce, and has for its primary object the provision of a container or wrapper which is particularly well adapted for use as a protective covering for periodicals as Well as other articles which are generally subjected to rough handling and which may often be exposed to the elements for varying lengths of time.

Another important object is to provide a con tainer or Wrapper of the type described which is relatively simple of construction, very inexpensive of manufacture, and by means of which newspapers and magazines may be effectively protected from rough handling during delivery and from dirt, moisture and the elements while lying on an exposed porch or lawn before being taken into the house.

Another object of importance is to provide a container or wrapper of the type described, which can be very readily and quickly applied to a newspaper or magazine by a relatively unskilled person, and which can be just as easily removed from the periodical Without damage to the periodical.

A further object is to provide a protective covering for periodicals, which provides a very attractive, compact and easily handled'package.

Still another object is to provide a protective covering for periodicals, which is very well adapted to serve as an effective medium for advertising and to provide a maximum amount of space for this purpose.

In its very essence, the container or wrapper of the invention consists of a bag closed at both its ends, said bag being somewhat longer and wider than the article it is to protect, and being provided near one of its closed ends with an expansible slit for inserting the article into the container.

The invention is applicable generally to every type and form of bag used or adapted to be used for wrapping flat articles, and lends itself particularly for application to bags made of cellulosic material. In the present disclosure, the invention is illustrated as being applied to bags of the fiat or inextensible type but it will be understood that the invention may be readily applied to bags of the bellows or extensible type as well as to bags having a single expansible gusset such as are described in the patent to Kehr, No. 2,279,327.

As previously noted, the container of the invention may advantageously be made of cellulosic material. It may be of opaque, transparent or native form of container;

translucent cellulosic material or a combination of such materials as in case Where it is desired to reveal the masthead of the periodical. As examples of suitable materials may be mentioned kraft paper, glassine and Cellophane. -A relatively strong material such as kraft paper is preferred, and this material may advantageously be treated with a Water-resistant or repellant material, of which there are many available on the market. Wax is mentioned as a suitable water repellant material that may advantageously be used. As above stated, other cellulosic materials such as glassine or Cellophane or combinations thereof may be employed. If Cellophane is employed, it should preferably be of the water-resistant variety. Protective coverings for newspapers and magazines provide an exceptionally effective advertising medium, and for this reason the cellulosic material should preferably be of a type that can readily take printing inks.

The directing concept underlying the invention is susceptible of being embodied in a large number of physical forms, three of which are shown in the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes. Referring to these drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of one side of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a folded newspaper being shown in the act of being inserted in the container;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the package after the newspaper is completely enclosed;

Figure 3 is a view of one side of an alternative form of container, a folded newspaper being shown in the act of being inserted;

Figure 4 is a View of the opposite side of the container of Figure 3 after the newspaper has been completely enclosed and sealed therein;

Figure 5 is a view of one side of another alter- Figure 6 is a similar view of the container of Figure 5 showing a folded newspaper inthe act of being inserted in the container; and

Figure 7 is a similar view of the package after the newspaper is completely enclosed.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that the container is in the form of a fiat tube denoted generally by the numeral I. The tube has the body portion 2 and the two sealed ends 3 and 4. The sealed ends may be formed in any suitable manner, as for example by folding the end portions of the tube and securing them by means of staples or adhesive to the body portion of the tube.

As previously noted, the essential feature of the invention is the provision of an expansible slit near one end of the container. The slit is indicated in Figures 1 and 2 by the numeral 5 and is shown as being cut in one side wall of the tube in the form of an arc. The are is shown disposed with its convex side upward, but it is thought to be obvious that the arc may be disposed concave side upward. The distance from the slit to the bottom of the container should preferably be somewhat greater than the length of the periodical to be wrapped, for a reason that will appear as the description proceeds.

The manner of inserting a periodical such as a newspaper into the container is illustrated in Figure 1. As customarily sold, newspapers of conventional size and form are generally folded once about aline perpendicular to their length.

When a newsboy hands a paper to a customer, the boy often folds the paper twice again at right angles to the first line of fold. The container of the invention should preferably be of such size and form that a newspaper (indicated in Figure 1 by the letter P) folded in the foregoing manner can be readily inserted into the container through the slit 5. As indicated in Figure 1, the operation of inserting the newspaper can be facilitated by slightly bending the portion of the container above the slit, thereby expanding the slit. After the newspaper is inserted to substantially its full length, the upper portion of.

the container is restored to its original position, thereby closing the slit and automatically sealing the container as shown in Figure 2. The form of the slit and its position in reference to the top and bottom of the container serve to facilitate the insertion of the newspaper and the sealing of the container.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4 differs from the one just described in that the upper portion of the containers provided with an additional sealing means in the form of a closure strip. Referring to Figure 3, the container is shown to be in the form of a flat tube I 0 provided with a closed bottom and a closed top denoted by the numerals II and I2. respectively. The slit is designated by the numeral I3 and is of the form and disposition as previously described with reference to Figure 1.

The closure strip is designated by the numeral I4 and may be a flexible metallic strip of the type generally used in the conventional form of tintie bag, or it may be a narrow tape or webbing of paper or fabric coated on one side with an adhesive. In any event, the closure element is somewhat longer than the bag is wide to provide projecting or overhanging end portions or tabs I5 and I6.

Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which the container of Figure 3 is sealed about the newspaper. After the newspaper is inserted in the manner previously described. the upper end of the bag is folded on the bag over the slit I3, and then the overhanging ends I5 and I6 of the closure element I4 are folded over onto the rear of the container. If the element I4 is of metallic material, the folding of the strip is sufiicient to secure the upper end of the bag to the body thereof. If the strip I4 is of gummed tape, the overhanging ends I5 and I6 are adhesively secured to the container by means of their adhesive coating. It will be understood that the adhesive coating of the overhanging ends I5 and I6 should face the rear wall of the container to which they are to be adhesively secured.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 differs from the containers already described in that the slit instead of being cut in one wall of the tube is cut through the front and rear walls and terminates a short distance from the common edge of the two walls.

Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7, the container is in the form of a fiat tube 20 having the sealed bottom 2| and the sealed top 22. The slit is denoted by the numeral 23 and is in the form of an arc cut through the front and rear walls of the tube and extending from one common edge of the two walls to a short distance from the other common edge. The arc is disposed convex side up and has its high point on the common edge of the two walls of the tube. The are divides the container into a lower main portion 26 and an upper hood portion 25.

In using the container just described, the hood portion 25 is swung to one side as indicated in Figure 6 and the newspaper designated by P is inserted. Then the hood portion 25 is restored to its normal position, thereby closing and sealing the container about the newspaper.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for the purpose of illustration only, and it is therefore to be understood that the described forms of containers and protective coverings may be changed or modified in various ways without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention and without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A container for fiat articles, said container being in the form of a flat tube of cellulosic materail comprising two walls, said tube being closed and sealed at both ends, and being provided with a slit from one common edge of the two walls through both of the walls to a relatively short distance from the other common edge, said slit dividing the container into a main body portion and a hood portion, said portions being movable relative to each other.

ROBERT D. LOOK. 

